Skip link
Use the skip link component to help keyboard-only users skip to the main content on a page.
<p class="govuk-body">To view the skip link component tab to this example, or click inside this example and press tab.</p>
<a href="#" class="govuk-skip-link" data-module="govuk-skip-link">Skip to main content</a><p class="govuk-body">To view the skip link component tab to this example, or click inside this example and press tab.</p>
{% from "govuk/components/skip-link/macro.njk" import govukSkipLink %}
{{ govukSkipLink({
text: "Skip to main content",
href: "#"
}) }}If you use the page template, you’ll also get the skip link without having to add it, as it’s included by default. However, if you want to customise the default skip link, read the page template guidance about customising components.
When to use this component
All GOV.UK pages must include a skip link. Usually, you should place the skip link immediately after the opening <body> tag. However, if you’re using a Cookie banner component, place the skip link immediately after the cookie banner.
Some automated accessibility testing tools may warn that the skip link element is not inside a landmark. This warning does not apply to skip links, so you can ignore it. Do not wrap the skip link in a <nav> region, or move it inside the header.
How it works
Some people use the tab key on their keyboard to navigate through the links and form elements on a web page.
Including the skip link component gives users the option to bypass the top-level navigation links and jump to the main content on a page.
The skip link component is visually hidden until a keyboard press activates it.
There are 2 ways to use the skip link component. You can use HTML or, if you are using Nunjucks or the GOV.UK Prototype Kit, you can use the Nunjucks macro.
<p class="govuk-body">To view the skip link component tab to this example, or click inside this example and press tab.</p>
<a href="#" class="govuk-skip-link" data-module="govuk-skip-link">Skip to main content</a><p class="govuk-body">To view the skip link component tab to this example, or click inside this example and press tab.</p>
{% from "govuk/components/skip-link/macro.njk" import govukSkipLink %}
{{ govukSkipLink({
text: "Skip to main content",
href: "#"
}) }}Recent changes
| Date | Changed | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | GOV.UK Frontend v5.14.0 | Fixed focus style appearing cut off in forced colours mode. |
| Apr 2024 | GOV.UK Frontend v5.3.1 | Fixed regression that reintroduced the bug previously fixed in 3.5.0. |
| Apr 2022 | Guidance | Added guidance about where to place the skip link on a page. Added note that accessibility auditing tools may incorrectly flag the skip link as not being within a page landmark. Bypass links do not need to be within a landmark. |
| Dec 2021 | GOV.UK Frontend v4.0.0 | Added JavaScript that moves focus to the skip link’s target to improve the consistency of screen reader behaviour. |
| Jan 2020 | GOV.UK Frontend v3.5.0 | Fixed focus style lacking an underline when the |
Help improve this component
To help make sure that this page is useful, relevant and up to date, you can:
- take part in the ‘Skip link’ discussion on GitHub and share your research
- propose a change on GitHub – read more about how to propose changes in GitHub
Need help?
If you’ve got a question about the GOV.UK Design System, contact the team.